Language/Mandarin-chinese/Grammar/了-le
Hello everybody!
In today's lesson, we will teach you how to use the modal particle 了 (le) which is sometimes hard to understand for Chinese learners.
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The modal particle 了 (le)
了 (le) is a modal particle indicating that the situation is new.
It is placed at the end of the sentence.
Look at the two examples below:
- 他学汉语。 Tā xué hànyǔ.
He studies Chinese.
(There is no particular indication of time, whether it has been a long time since it started or not, it is a very simple sentence).
- 他学汉语了。 Tā xué hànyǔ le.
He has just started to study Chinese.
(The 了 (le) indicates that it is new, that he did not study Chinese before and that he put himself in it).
In the example above, we can easily make sense in English, but this is not always the case:
- 你多大? nǐ duō dà?
How old are you?
- 你多大了? nǐ duō dà le?
How old are you?
(in the sense of "Now, how old are you?")
- 现在几点? Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?
What time is it right now?
- 现在几点了? Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?
What time is it right now?
(reinforces the idea of "now", but in the sense of change).
The use of 了 is not always obvious for a beginner.
On the other hand, it comes naturally enough with practice. It is therefore important to learn standard phrases by heart.
Here are some more examples:
- 他去中国。 tā qù zhōng guó
He's going to China.
(maybe he's getting ready or he's already at the airport)
- 他去中国了。 tā qù zhōng guó le
He went to China.
(That's it, it's done, he's gone.)
- 我看见他。 Wǒ kānjiān tā.
I see him.
- 我看见他了! Wǒ kānjiān tā le!
I see him (now)!
For a negation in a past context, do not add the 了:
- 他没去中国。 méi qù zhōng guó
He did not go to China.
- 我没看见他。 méi kàn jiàn tā.
I did not see him.
On the other hand, the expression 不 ..... 了。 Bù ...... le means "no longer":
- 他不学汉语了。 tā bù xué hàn yǔ le.
He does not study Chinese anymore.